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Gambling Act Reduces Number of Slot Machines in Czech Republic by 62% in Four Years

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The Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic has conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of new gambling regulations adopted in 2016.

The analysis highlights several positive effects of the law, both in the number of slot machines, which has decreased 62% from 53,554 to 20,269, and in that gamblers are now less likely to fall into addiction.

There were also positive effects on the character of cities, as bars with slot machines were replaced by modern cafes, hairdressers and places for children.

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“By setting clear rules, we have managed not only to tame rampant gambling, but above all to better protect our citizens and their families from the destructive consequences of gambling addiction. There are currently over 200,000 people on our list of people who are not allowed to participate in gambling,” Finance Minister Alena Schillerová said.

Among the regulations introduced were strengthened supervisory powers and mandatory registration, limits on gambling advertising, and a ban on the use of alcohol and cigarettes while gambling. The Gambling Act has also increased awareness of the negative effects of gambling and introduced a new and more efficient system of taxation.

However, the new challenge is Internet gambling: since the entry into force of the Gambling Act in 2017, there has been an increase in internet gambling from 10% of the total to 45% in 2020.

“Internet gaming is becoming increasingly risky, mainly due to the speed of the game, players’ anonymity and the 24-hour-a-day availability,” Schillerová said.

Some rules to discourage gambling on the internet already exist, including mandatory registration for gamblers, self-limitation measures (setting a maximum daily gambling amount), reporting obligations on the operator, and regulation of advertising.

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Nevertheless, they are not sufficient to stem the phenomenon, and so new containment measures will be adopted to face the new challenges related to online gambling.

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Superbet Enters into Partnership with Wisla Krakow

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Superbet has entered into a partnership with the legendary Polish football club – Wisła Kraków.

Wisła Kraków boasts a sizeable history as a thirteen-time Polish champion and commands a devoted fan base. The partnership is set to introduce an approach whereby fans can actively participate by registering an account with a dedicated fan code – an act that will contribute directly to the club’s academy.

Lukasz Seweryniak, General Manager of Superbet Poland, said: “We consider this partnership a key milestone for our brand and view it as a long-term commitment, with the agreement in place until at least 2027. We have no doubt that we are now sponsoring one of the most important clubs in Polish football, and we believe the Club will soon reclaim its rightful place. We want to be part of this journey and, together with the fans, write a new and fantastic chapter in our brand’s history.”

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Jaroslaw Krolewski, president of Wisła Kraków SA, said: “We are delighted that Superbet is joining the sponsors of Wisła Kraków! It is tremendous support and motivation for our further development. Thanks to Superbet, we can set even more ambitious sports and development goals. I am particularly pleased that our business partner is a company with such a talented team of people. Together, it will be great.”

The post Superbet Enters into Partnership with Wisla Krakow appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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NOVOMATIC is Austria’s Second Most Valuable Brand Company

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For the 21st time, the European Brand Institute has presented the most valuable and sustainable brand companies in Austria. The international gaming technology group with more than 25,300 employees worldwide and activities in more than 120 countries secured the top positions in both the EBI’s Brand Value and Sustainable Brand Ranking.

With a brand value increase by +8.7% to EUR 3.745 billion, NOVOMATIC took an excellent second place in the brand value study and also recorded the largest increase in value within one year among the country’s top 10. Once again this year, only Red Bull ranks ahead of the Lower Austrian global player.

Significant factors for the brand value assessment were not only the high level of innovation, but also the international expansion course, sales growth and the comprehensive corporate responsibility and ESG programme, which is confirmed by international ESG rating agencies. Against this background, NOVOMATIC was also able to impress in the Sustainable Brand Ranking, in which the company took third place for the first time. This ranking underlines NOVOMATIC’s contribution to sustainable economic development in Austria.

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“The renewed top position in the Brand Value Ranking 2024 is confirmation of the long-term success of our global brand strategy, which has enabled us to sustainably consolidate our leading position on the international markets. The rise to third place in the Sustainable Brand Ranking is particularly pleasing and shows that we are also setting new standards in the area of social and ecological responsibility with our comprehensive ESG commitment,” said NOVOMATIC Executive Board Member Stefan Krenn.

The Austrian Brand Value Study, which is based on the annual “trend-TOP500 of Austria’s top-selling companies” and identifies those Austrian corporate brands with more than 45% of their shares in Austrian hands, evaluated a total of 180 Austrian brand companies from 16 sectors in 2024. The brand value is determined in accordance with the international standards ISO 10668 and ISO 2067.

The top rankings in the Austrian Brand Value Study and in the Sustainable Brand Ranking confirm NOVOMATIC’s position as one of Austria’s leading brand companies. The gaming technology group is thus once again setting a strong example for sustainable business practices.

The post NOVOMATIC is Austria’s Second Most Valuable Brand Company appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Bragg Gaming Continues Global Expansion, Powers Kingsbet.cz Launch with an End-to-End iGaming Solution

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Bragg Gaming Group has launched its full turnkey solution with Czech land-based casino operator Kings Entertainment A.S. (Kings). Kings will operate their online business in the Czech Republic under the brand Kingsbet.

Under the terms of the agreement signed between the two parties, Bragg will provide Kingsbet with Player Account Management (PAM) technology, exclusive content from Bragg studios, aggregated online casino content via the Bragg HUB and a fully localised sportsbook integration in partnership with Altenar.

Bragg provides Kingsbet with an all-in-one solution with powerful automation and marketing tools to seamlessly run its casino and sportsbook operations.

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Bragg’s FUZE player engagement toolset for casino and sportsbook is also included, helping boost acquisition, conversion and retention with tools such as Free rounds, Missions, Quests, Journeys, Recommendation engine and Jackpots.

Kingsbet will additionally be supported by managed marketing and operational services delivered by Bragg.

The agreement and subsequent launch is the latest in a string of deals that Bragg has struck to provide its technology solutions to operators across global regulated iGaming markets, and is the Company’s second PAM and turnkey partner in the Czech Republic.

Bragg Group Chief Executive Officer Matevž Mazij said: “We are proud to be chosen to support Kings Entertainment, a leading European entertainment, casino and poker brand with our full-service turnkey solution as they transition their market leading Czech operations online.”

“The new regulations make this an exciting time to be in the Czech market,” Mazij added.

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David Vaněk, Chief Executive Officer of Kingsbet, said: “Over the past 8 months, both teams worked very hard to prepare the launch of “kingsbet.cz” ahead of the EURO championship. I’m proud that we are the first licensed betting and gaming operator in the Czech Republic who have undergone a rigorous and very demanding licensing process and are currently the sole operator fully compliant with the new Gambling Act, effective as of January 2024.

“Kingsbet will offer players ‘The King’s experience’ in sports betting and casino, and we plan to launch a Live casino product by the end of this year. Bragg’s platform will enable us to enter the Czech market with powerful tools and a highly competitive product offering.”

Founded in 2003, Kings Entertainment operates three land-based casinos: the Kings Rozvadov, Admiral Rozvadov and Hilton Prague properties. At Kings casino in Rozvadov, known as the biggest poker arena in Europe and a premier gaming destination, a variety of poker tournaments including W.S.O.P. are held attracting more than 500,000 visitors per year.

Kings has a 40% share of the Czech land-based casino market and now has ambitious plans to expand into online gambling, an expansion which will be supported by Bragg technology and expertise.

The Czech online casino market is projected to achieve approximately $1 billion in gross win in 2024, according to H2 Gambling Capital. This figure represents growth of 30% on a year-over-year basis from 2023’s figures.

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Under previous Czech gambling regulations, operators were only able to offer online RNG games explicitly licensed under the Czech Gambling Act.

Following pressure from operators, this list was widened to include live dealer games (live casino), an amendment which came into force on January 1, 2024.

The inclusion of live dealer games was one of a number of amendments made to existing Czech gambling laws, the most wide-ranging of which was the introduction of a new streamlined licensing regime for operators.

The post Bragg Gaming Continues Global Expansion, Powers Kingsbet.cz Launch with an End-to-End iGaming Solution appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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